Separable fastener



May 27, 1969 p, SPENCE Re. 26,584

SEPARABLE PASTENER Original Filed Sept. 23. 1963 INVENTOR PETER MARVINSPENCE FIG. 3 yd? ATTORN EYS United States Patent 26,584 SEPARABLEFASTENER Peter Marvin Spence, 328 Main St., Markham, Ontario, CanadaOriginal No. 3,195,202, dated July 20, 1965, Ser. No.

310,546, Sept. 23, 1963. Application for reissue July 14, 1967, Ser. No.661,145

Int. Cl. A44b 11/00 U.S. Cl. 24-230 Claims Matter enclosed in heavybrackets appears in the original patent but forms no part of thisreissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additionsmade by reissue.

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A buckle including a pair of end members, onefor attachment to each end of a bracelet. The first end member includesa slide member that is insertable into the second end member and can bereleasably locked thereto by a latch in the second end member. Thesecond end member contains a retractor to which is attached one end of aflexible strand, the other end of the strand being secured to the slidemember. The strand extends through an aperture in the latch and isadapted to bias the latch transversely of the strand into latchingengagement with the slide member.

This invention relates to a buckle for bracelets and in particular to abuckle having a retractable safety chain that can be used withwristwatch bracelets, jewelry bracelets and the like.

In the past buckles for use with conventional bracelets, e.g. forwatches, have permitted the two ends of the bracelet to move completelyapart when the buckle is unfastened. Therefore, when a user is placing awatch on his wrist, he must, with one hand, hold the watch and align andconnect the two ends of the buckle, a task that can often be difiicult.In the case of ladies bracelets (of the kind having small buckles orclasps) safety chains are often provided to guard against accidentalopening of the clasp. Such safety chains are not particularlyattractive, although they are usually considered necessary to protectthe bracelet or watch.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide abuckle for either mens or ladies bracelets which is simple to use,reliable in operation, and which contains a safety chain that isconcealed from view when it is in use.

A buckle according to the invention includes a pair of end members,[housing that can be attached to one end of a bracelet and] one forattachment to each end of the bracelet. One end member contains a slidemember that [can be attached to the other end of the bracelet. The slidemember] is insertable into the other end member [housing] and can bereleasably locked thereto by a latch. [The housing also contains aretractor to which is attached one end of a flexible strand, the otherend of the strand being secured to the slide member. The] A flexiblestrand, which constitutes a safety chaiu[.], extends between the endmembers and through an aperture in the latch. The strand is secured atone end member and is biased toward the other by a strand retractor sothat the end members are biased toward each other. [A feature of theinvention is that the strand extends through an aperture in the latchand is adapted to bias] The strand retractor may be positioned so thatthe strand biases the latch transversely of the strand into latchingengagement with the slide member.

[The object of the invention is to provide a buckle of simple anddurable construction, which is reliable in operation, and which caneasily be attached to a bracelet] The foregoing and still furtherobjects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from astudy of the following specification taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a buckle constructed in accordance withthe invention, the buckle being in released or unlocked condition withits cover partly lifted away to reveal the internal construction;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing the retractorembodied in the buckle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the buckle in locked condition, with the coverpartly broken away; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative form of retractor.

Referring to the drawings, a buckle comprises a first [housing] endmember 10 attached to one end of a brace let 11. and a second end member(not numbered) attached to the other end of the bracelet and containinga. slide member 12 [attached to its other end]. A latch 13 is providedin the [housing] end member 10 for engaging the slide member when thelatter is inserted into the [housing] end member 10. The [housing] endmember 10 also contains a retractor 14 to which is secured one end 15aof a flexible strand 15 which constitutes the flexible safety chain, theother end 15b of the strand being secured to the slide member.

The [housing] end member 10 comprises a channelshaped frame 16 and aflanged cover 17 which fits snugly over the frame 16. The frame includesa web 18, opposed flanges 19 which constitute side Walls, and atransverse flange 20 which extends between the flanges 19 adjacent oneend of the frame; at its other end the frame is open. Two alignedcircular openings 21 are provided near the ends of the flanges 19 whichare adjacent the flange 20, for receiving the opposite ends of aconventional spring bar or push pin 22 of the type commonly used to [a]couple a bracelet to a wrist watch. The cover 17 is hinged at one end tothe frame 16 by means of the free ends of the pin 22 which extendthrough aligned circular openings in the flanges of the cover.

The retractor 14 comprises a spindle 23 fast to the web 18 of the[housing] end member 10 by means of a screw 24, a drum 25 freelyrotatable on the spindle, and a spiral spring 26 which biases the druminto strandwinding condition. The web 18 of the housing is dishedupwardly around the foot of the spindle 23 to form a bearing surface forthe drum.

The drum 25 is hollow, and in the form shown in FIG. 2 it includes acylindrical wall 27 and circular flanges 28 and 29. Registering with acentral opening in the flange 28 is a closure 30 which can be pried opento expose the interior of the drum.

The ends of the spiral spring 26 respectively are engaged in anyconventional manner to the spindle 23 and to the cylindrical wall 27 ofthe drum in order that the drum may be biased into strand-windingcondition, as mentioned previously. The spring illustrated in thedrawings has been shown as being wound clockwise. It is obvious that aspring of opposite hand would be equally acceptable; the strand 15 wouldthen be wound in the opposite direction around the drum, and the latch13 would be reversed in operation. The end 15a of the strand is loopedthrough three small closely spaced openings 31 provided in thecylindrical wall 27 of the drum and thus it is secured to the drum. Thestrand preferably is a nylon monofilament of about 25 pounds test for abuckle suitable for a mans bracelet, and of about 10 to 15 pounds testfor a buckle suitable for a ladys bracelet.

The latch 13 comprises a cylindrical shaft 32 having an end 32a ofreduced diameter which creates a shoulder 32b. Secured to the shaft atapproximately its mid point is a lug 33 through which extends anaperture 34 which provides a guide for the strand 15. The ends of theshaft 32 are received in aligned circular openings provided in theopposed flanges 19 of the [housing] end member 10, and a helical spring35 extending between the lug 33 and the more adjacent flange 19 urgesthe shaft axially in one sense, the movement of the shaft in that sensebeing limited by the engagement of its shoulder 32b with the otherflange 19. Incidentally, the cover 17 may be locked in closed conditionrelative to the forms 16 by the registration and the engagement of theend 32a of the shaft 32 with an opening 36 provided in the adjacent sideof the cover. It will be evident that the cover can be released bypushing axially the shaft 32 against the force of the spring 35, thus todisengage the end 3221 of the shaft from the cover.

The slide member 12 comprises a blade 37 having a stepped portion 38embodying opposed flanges 39. In these flanges are aligned openingswhich receive the ends of a conventional spring bar or push pin 40whereby one end of the bracelet is coupled to the slide member. In theblade 37 is a hooked locking finger 41 adapted to engage the lug 33 ofthe latch 13.

When the buckle is in locked condition, as illustrated in FIG. 3, theslide member 12 has been inserted in the [housing] end member 10, andthe hooked locking finger 41 of the blade 37 is in locking engagementwith the lug 33 of the latch member 13. The spiral spring 26 continuallybiases the drum 25 into strand-winding condition, and thus when thebuckle is in locked condition the strand is fully wound around the drum.The strand 15 is always under tension, and consequently it assists thehelical spring 35 to bias the latch into locking condition.

To release the latch, the end 32a of the shaft 32 is pushed axially,thus disengaging the lug 33 from the hooked locking finger 41; the slidemember can then be withdrawn from the [housing] end member 10. As theslide member is withdrawn, the strand 15 unwinds from the drum againstthe force of the spiral spring 26.

With the slide member withdrawn from the housing 10 and the strand fullyextended, the bracelet can easily be removed from the wrist of thewearer. To replace the bracelet the latch is released and the strand isextended; the bracelet then is slipped over the hand of the wearer andthe slide member is inserted into the [housing] end member 10, adistinct click being [head] heard when the latch is engaged.

An alternate form of retractor drum is illustrated in FIG. 4. This drum(generally indicated by reference numeral 51) comprises a first hollowcylinder 48 integral with and concentric with a second hollow cylinder49 of smaller diameter than the first cylinder 48. The drum 51, isfreely rotatable on a spindle and is provided with a spiral spring whichbiases it into strand-winding condition; these details are similar tothose of the retractor 14 first described. The exterior of the drum 51,however, has a different configuration than that of the drum 25, i.e.the drum 51 has two concentric cylindrical portions of differentdiameter, namely the larger hollow cylinder 48 and the smaller hollowcylinder 49. The strand is wound around the smaller cylinder 49 and thespring and the mechanism associated with the spring (which is similar tothat of the retractor 14) is located within the larger drum 48. Theadvantage of this construction is that the overall diameter of the drum51 can be smaller than that of the drum 25, because the strand is woundaround the small cylinder 49 and not around the portion of the drumwhich houses the spring. An annular flange extends around the bottomedge of the cylinder 49 to prevent the strand from accidentally fallingoff the end of the drum.

It will be understood that the form of the invention 4 herewith shownand described is a preferred example and that various modifications canbe carried out without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A buckle for a bracelet comprising an end member [a housing] forattachment to one end of the bracelet; a latch in the end member[housing] that is movable transversely of the end member [housing]; aslide member for attachment to the other end of the bracelet and adaptedto be inserted into the end member [housing] for engagement by thelatch; a flexible strand which is connected at one end to the slidemember and which extends through an aperture in the latch and is adaptedto bias the latch transversely of the strand into latching engagementWith the slide member; and a strand retractor in the end member[housing] and connected to the opposite end of the strand for drawingthe strand into the end member [housing].

2. A buckle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the latch comprises a shaftextending between two opposed side walls of the end member [housing],and a lug on the shaft that is adapted to engage the slide member toreleasably lock it to the end member [housing], and wherein the saidaperture is in the lug.

3. A buckle as claimed in claim 2 wherein the slide member includes ahooked locking finger that can be engaged by the latch,

4. A buckle as claimed in claim 2 wherein the shaft has an end which canbe pushed axially against the tension of the strand to disengage thelatch from the slide member.

5. A buckle for a bracelet comprising an end member [a housing] forattachment to one end of the bracelet; a latch in the end member[housing] that is movable transversely of the end member [housing]; astrand retractor comprising a spindle fast to the end member [housing],a drum freely rotatable on the spindle, and a spiral spring undertension within the drum and having one end anchored to the spindle andits other end secured to the drum; a slide member for attachment to theother end of the bracelet and adapted to be inserted into the and member[housing] for engagement by the latch; and a flexible strand which isconnected at one end to the slide member and which extends through anaperture in the latch and is adapted to bias the latch transversely ofthe strand into latching engagement with the slide member, the oppositeend of the strand being connected to the drum whereby the tension of thespiral spring continually biases the drum into strand-winding condition,whereby the strand is fully wound around the drum when the buckle is inlocked condition.

6. A buckle as claimed in claim 5 wherein the slide member includes ahooked locking finger; wherein the latch comprises a shaft extendingbetween two opposed side walls of the end member [housing], and a lug onthe shaft adapted to engage the locking finger to releasably lock theslide member to the end member [housing]; and wherein the said apertureis in the lug.

7. A buckle as claimed in claim 5 wherein the drum comprises a firsthollow cylinder integral with and concentric with a second hollowcylinder of smaller diameter than the first cylinder, wherein the spiralspring is located inside the first cylinder and wherein the strand iswound around the second cylinder.

8. A buckle for a bracelet, said buckle comprising: first and second endmembers; said end members including means for attachment of said endmembers to respective ends of said bracelet; said first end memberhaving a pair of holes in opposite sidewalls thereof and including amovable latch; said latch comprising a shaft extending between saidsidewalls and extending through the holes therein, a lug fixed on saidshaft and having an aperture therein, spring means biasing said shaftand lng axially toward one 0 said sidewalls, and means limiting movementof said shaft and lug towards said one sidewall; said second end memberincluding a slide member adapted to be inserted into said first forengagement by said latch, said slide member having a hooked lockingfinger engageable by said lug to lock said slide member to said firstend member; a flexible strand extending between said end members andpassing through said aperture in said lug; a strand retractor in one ofsaid end members and connected to one end of said strand, said strandretractor including means biasing said strand to a retracted position;and means connecting the other end of said strand in the other of saidend members against withdrawal therefrom, so that said strand retractorbiases said end mem bers toward each other.

9. A buckle according to claim 8 wherein said strand retractor includesa spindle fast to said one end member, a drum freely rotatable on saidspindle, and a spiral spring under tension within said drum and havingone end anchored to said spindle and its other end secured to said drum,the tension of said spiral spring continually biasing said drum intostrand-winding condition, so that said strand is substantial! fullywound around said drum when said buckle is in locked condition.

10. A buckle according to claim 9 wherein said drum comprises first andsecond hollow cylinders integral and concentric with each other, saidsecond cylinder being of smaller diameter than said first cylinder, saidspiral spring being located within said first cylinder and said strandbeing wound around said second cylinder.

References Cited The following references, cited by the Examiner, are ofrecord in the patented file of this patent or the original patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,101,049 6/1914 AdamSOn. 1,537,213 5/1925 Wylie.1,622,954 3/1927 Macheroux. 2,593,018 4/1952 Fendrock.

18,245 9/1857 Herman 24230 75,976 3/1868 Reading 24-230 953,597 3/1910Dains 24-230 1,124,130 1/1915 Grant 241.4 1,739,676 12/1929 Jones24-20l.4 1,799,688 4/1931 Jaffe 24-1.4 2,417,168 3/1947 Kalnitz 24230.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 435,459 10/1911 France.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner.

